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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26569600">Other Side</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheezPretzel/pseuds/CheezPretzel'>CheezPretzel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lego Ninjago</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Haunted Houses, ghost - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:09:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,590</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26569600</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheezPretzel/pseuds/CheezPretzel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There may or may not be a ghost in Jay's new house, but he's determined to find out. Fortunately, he has a couple of new friends who are more than willing to help him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A/N: Got bored, wrote a ghost story. This is part one of five, and updates will likely be a bit random as I'm still adjusting to the COVID-19 Apocalypse.</p><p>I don't own Ninjago.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The rotting wooden floors of the porch creaked against Jay’s feet as he walked up the porch steps after his dad into their new house. After moving to Georgia, Cliff Gordan had bought an apartment complex. It was an odd thing for a retiring Actor to do, especially one with a ten-year-old child, but Cliff had decided to move his son Jay across the country away from Hollywood. Hollywood wasn’t a good influence, after all, children there were taught to abuse waiters from the ripe age of four.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay looked around his new home observing the mildew-covered walls and ragged carpet. The whole building seemed like it hadn’t been cleaned since it was built in the 1800s. Jay had asked his father why an apartment building had even been built in the 1800s, but Cliff had reminded him that it was actually an old Plantation house from before the American Civil war. Jay leaned back to the point where his head was completely upside-down over the back of the couch he was currently flopped over. The house almost looked cooler this way-- wait, nope, still boring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay rummaged through his favorite blue Batman backpack, digging around for the book he’d been reading. Pulling it out, he flipped to the Minecraft bookmark about halfway through the center and stared at the ghoulish picture on page 265, shuddering. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The creature in the center was half-man, half-snake, with creepy long fangs, purple skin, and sharp yellow eyes. He was grinning at the outside world through the page, and even just looking at the picture gave Jay chills.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The book he was reading was titled </span>
  <em>
    <span>Clutch Power’s Guide to Monsters </span>
  </em>
  <span>and it was by far the scariest book Jay had ever read. The snake creature, the one that gave him the chills, was called an ‘Anacondrai’. This one, in particular, had a name, “Pythor P. Chumsworth”. Even though they supposedly lived in India, the idea of them still freaked Jay out. Shuddering, he stabbed the Minecraft bookmark back into the book and slammed it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bored again, Jay hopped up from the couch to go bother his father. Cliff was working at something at the kitchen table, tapping it out on a beat-up laptop. Though he had enough money to buy twelve new ones, one of Cliff’s philosophies was not to fix something that wasn’t broken. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad,” Jay walked over to his father, climbing into the chair next to him. “Can we do something? I’m bored.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh-huh,” Cliff didn’t look up from his laptop. “Let me just…” He leaned in closer, then scowled. “No! That’s not what I want!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can help!” Jay offered, trying to peek around the screen of the computer. Cliff waved him off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Jay, this is confidential, go play,” Cliff snapped, leaning in to type something else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But DAAAAAAD,” Jay whined. “There’s nothing to DO!’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cliff sighed heavily, leaning back in the chair and rubbing his aching forehead. “For the love of-- Jay, this is an apartment complex- there must be other kids here! For heaven's sake, go outside, play in the twelve </span>
  <em>
    <span>thousand </span>
  </em>
  <span>acres of old farmland, hunt for frogs in the creek- Just. Let. Me. Work!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay sighed so hard it felt like the entire room shook. “Alright fine. Can I have a granola bar, though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Cliff slumped forward, covering his eyes. “Have a granola bar. Have all the granola bars you want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay scrambled to the kitchen and grabbed as many Costco granola bars as he could hold. Heading back to the living room, he dropped them all into the Batman backpack before snatching up his </span>
  <em>
    <span>Clutch Power’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> book and heading out into the hallways of the old mansion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The lights flickered a bit as Jay walked down the halls, he laughed nervously. “Heh, okay, creepy old lights are flickering, hah, nothing to worry about.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The lights flickered more violently, and Jay shuddered, running to the edge of the hallway and walking back to the wall, so he could see the entire hallway while he walked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sliding along, Jay ummed to himself anxiously. “Okay, okay, just a creepy old house, no ghost or anything, hem, ghosts don’t exis-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was cut off suddenly when a pair of arms reached out from behind him and clamped around his mouth. Jay tried to scream, but a voice hissed in his ear. “Don’t! I won’t hurt you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hands let go of him and Jay turned around, scared to see a creepy creature there, but instead, all he could see was a group of children, all sitting in a back hallway. The boy that had grabbed him was standing close to Jay, behind him was a black-haired girl, and next to her were two blonde boys.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why’d you grab me!?” He whined to the boy. “That wasn't nice! And who are you guys anyway!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first boy smirked. “I thought it would be funny. Anyway, I’m Kai, this is my sister Nya,” he motioned to the black-haired girl who gave a small wave. “And these two are Lloyd and Zane.” He pointed to each of them in turn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice to meet you, I guess,” Jay wrinkled his nose at Kai, however. Yeesh. What a creep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We heard someone new moved in and wanted to ask you to hang out,” the shorter blonde boy explained. He held up an odd-looking box. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay tilted his head to read the words on the side of the box. “Oooogjaa board?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s actually pronounced ‘Ouija’,” the taller of the two blondes, Zane, corrected gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like ‘wedgie’,” Nya added. “So, you wanna play?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Jay glanced back down the hallway towards his apartment, then pulled out his book. “I don’t think my dad would want me to play with strangers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that a Clutch Power’s Monster Manual!?” Lloyd asked, shoving Kai aside. “Like, a real one!?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, yeah?” Jay offered. “My dad bought it for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Neat,” Lloyd answered, “Can I see?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay nodded and handed the book to Lloyd, who began excitedly flipping through it. The others soon huddled around him, looking over his shoulders to watch. Finally, Lloyd gasped suddenly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” Kai asked, trying to shove Nya, who was not moving in the slightest. Jay stared at her for a few seconds. She must be a lot stronger than she looked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Check it out!” Lloyd exclaimed. “There’s a whole section on Ouija boards!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No way!” Zane politely tapped Jay on the shoulder, and he stepped aside so the taller boy could see. “Does it say what to do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It says,” Lloyd squinted at the book. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>To get the best results, use the board at night. Having candles and sage isn’t a bad idea.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, great, we can’t even play with the board now?” Kai grumbled. “And you just got it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, wait,” Lloyd shushed him. “It says to use it in the most haunted places to get the best results. Which means…” He trailed off, prompting the others to finish his sentence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The attic!” Nya exclaimed. She turned to Jay excitedly. “Think you can sneak out?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, yeah,” Jay answered, but he gave an awkward laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. “But, um, how do I get into the attic?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s easy,” Kai answers. “Meet Nya and I on the fourth floor’s west wing, and we’ll let you in.” He turned to Lloyd. “You’ll bring the Ouija board, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Duh,” Lloyd answered, grinning. “What time are we meeting at?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps at 3 A.M.?” Zane suggested. “I have heard that it is a ‘Witching Hour’ in a lot of media.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds good,” Kai answered. “Alright, we’ll meet then. Everyone cool with it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yup!” Nya answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Obviously,” Lloyd was grinning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane gave a curt nod. “Of course.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They all looked at Jay, who let out a nervous laugh. “Uh-huh! I’m coming, yeah! Heheh,” He swallowed audibly. The group dispersed, and as Jay was walking back to his room, he couldn’t help but tremble. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What did I just get myself into?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>👻👻👻</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The book says that you’re supposed to use at least one male and one female for the board to work the best,” Jay noted, holding his Clutch Power’s guide close to one of the cheap dollar store tea lights Kai and Nya had snuck out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane had tried to find sage, but when he couldn’t he had brought some dried oregano to substitute. Hopefully, the ghost was Italian, or at least liked oregano, because otherwise, they’d have a problem on their hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lloyd began setting up the Ouija board in the center of the circle they were all sitting in. He placed the planchette in the center of the board, then moved it in a few circles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Make sure to ‘warm-up’ the board by-- oh, you’re already doing that,” Jay looked up to see Lloyd setting up. Zane pulled out a notebook and pen and looked up expectantly. “The back of the box says it tends to move quickly. I thought writing whatever it is down might help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think we should all use it,” Kai said. “Well, aside from Zane, because he’s writing. Jay, get over here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay swallowed, but sat down between Lloyd and Nya, placing his fingers on the planchette. “So, heh, how do we start?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll start,” Lloyd answered. “My uncle is kind of an expert on these, he says to introduce everyone with you and then try to talk. Just treat the ghosts with respect.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Respect,” Jay chuckled. “That shouldn’t be too hard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, can we get started?” Kai asked, looking eager to open a door to the spirit world only to prod what was on the other side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready, Zane?” Lloyd double-checked, and Zane nodded. Then Lloyd took a deep breath, placing his fingers on the planchette next to Nya’s and Kai’s. “Um, Hi there, ghosts, if you're here, I’m Lloyd, this is Jay, Kai, Nya, and Zane. We don’t want to hurt you, we just want to talk. Is that okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s moving!” Nya exclaimed as the planchette slid a few inches.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The planchette swirled a bit before moving to yes. Jay laughed nervously. “That’s good, that’s good, um, how many of you are here, exactly?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The planchette slid to one, then to two, then back to one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nay went next. “What’s your name?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane recited the letters as he wrote them down. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>C...O...L...E…</span>
  </em>
  <span> Cole?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya laughed slightly. “Nice to meet you, Cole.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>N...I...C...E…...T…O…...M...E...E...T…...Y...O...U…...T...O...O…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Kai’s turn to ask a question now, and he thought for a minute before answering. “Were you a real person?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The planchette slid directly to ‘yes’ and almost looked offended while it did that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lloyd’s turn again. “Okay, so if you’re a ghost, can you do something physical to show us that you’re really here? How about…. Oh! Turn on that tea light.” He nudged the light with his shoe, and after a few seconds, Cole wrote back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>N...O...T…...E...N...O...U...G...H…...E...N...E...R...G...Y…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, okay…” Jay stared at the planchette under his fingers. “Um, you can borrow some of my energy if you want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“R...E...A...L...L...Y?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Jay answered. “I have plenty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He yawned suddenly. His eyes were really tired… did that tea light have to be so bright? Oh gosh, maybe it would be better if he could just rest for a minute-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“JAY!” Nya shook him hard. “Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay blinked, then yawned again. “Yeah, um, just really tired. Heh. I think I’m going to close my-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” Lloyd half-shouted, grabbing him. “I mean, no. You looked like you were about to pass out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The candle lit up, though,” Kai added. “We think Cole might’ve used some of your energy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The planchette moved again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“S...O...R...R...Y......D...I...D......N...O...T......M...E...A...N......T...O......H...U...R...T.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re okay, Cole,” Jay answered. “That probably wasn’t the smartest idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“A...G...R...E...E...D”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Cole,” Nya asked, looking towards the ceiling as if the ghost was really there. “I hope this isn’t too personal, but, when did you die?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“1...8...4...8…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai glanced at Zane. “Wasn’t that right before the American Civil war started?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane nodded. “That is correct. It was approximately 3 years before the attack on Fort Sumter, a battle that would inevitably cause the beginning of a war.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Cole,” Kai looked around. “How’d you die?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The planchette moved so fast it was nearly jerked out from under everyone’s fingers, as all of them scrambled to keep their hands on it. It hovered over ‘goodbye’, swirling in circles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay... Okay!” Lloyd shouted. “We’re sorry! Ah,” He tried to regain control over the board as it spun faster. “COLE! CUT IT OUT!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The planchette froze, then it crept across the board at a snail’s pace, spelling something out.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“S...T...O...P…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai cocked his head. “Did that just say ‘stop’?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cole?” Jay looked around the creepy attic, shivering hard. “Was… was that you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s moving!” Lloyd shouted, sounding panicked.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Y…...A…...N…...G”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yang?” Kai stared. He looked at Nya. “What’s a Yang?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s actually a name of Chinese origin,” Zane clarified. “There is a possibility that a worker of Chinese descent lived here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But there weren't that many Chinese slaves,” Nya added. “And the house was abandoned right after the war.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, heh,” Jay agreed. “That’s super weird.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys, I don’t really like this,” Lloyd butted into the conversation. “I… I think we should stop.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hang on, I want to ask one more question!” Kai answered, looking at the ceiling. “HEY Yang, what the heck do you want!?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I can’t look,” Lloyd shut his eyes. “Kai, don’t…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The planchette began to move.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kai, that’s not funny!” Nya snapped at him. “STOP IT!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai stared at the board in horror. “That’s not me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay gulped.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“K…...I…...L…...L……...A…...L…...L”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kill all?” Zane asked, unnaturally calm. “Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“CLOSE THE BOARD!” Almost everyone screamed at once. Kai wrestled the planchette away from Yang’s forces and dragged the rest of them through the goodbye ritual.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“G-O-O-D-B-Y-E, Goodbye!” He took his hands off the planchette. Nya took a shaky breath. Lloyd didn’t open his eyes. Jay stared at the board, horrified. Whatever was in this house, it wasn’t natural or real. It couldn’t possibly be real. Jay reached for his water bottle and promptly watched Nya punch Kai.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you EVER do anything like that again!” She snarled. “Whatever Yang was, it was evil, and you asked it a question!? You’re crazy, you hear me, CRAZY!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright fine!” Kai snapped back. “I’m sorry, I just wanted to know what it wanted!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why the fu-” Nya glanced at Lloyd and Zane and cut herself off, deciding not to use playground words around her more innocent-minded friends. “-Heck, would you want to know that!?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t you see,” Kai wiped a strand of hair out of his eyes. “Cole fled the second we asked how he died, and Yang took over.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So?” Lloyd butted in. “How does that make a difference?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if Yang is keeping the other ghosts here captive, and they can’t leave because of him?” Kai answered, using wild arm movements to illustrate his point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s crap,” Jay answered. “Ghosts can’t keep other ghosts captive!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, they can!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, they can’t!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“STOP IT!” Nya half-screamed. “Maybe we should all go to bed and talk about this later. Because some of us,” She shot a glare at Kai. “Aren’t telling the truth!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you picking on me!” Kai snapped. “I’m the only one being truthful!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya stomped away, and Kai followed her, but only after he gathered the tea lights. Jay shuddered at the thought of going back to his room alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you like me to walk you to your apartment, Jay?” Zane asked, noticing his friend’s fear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, yeah, that would be great,” Jau glanced at Lloyd. “You gonna be okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m good,” Lloyd answered, picking up his board. “I just want to ask my Uncle Wu something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About what?” Jay asked, helping him pick up the pieces, and helping Zane with the oregano. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you know how I got really scared right before Kai started prodding Yang?” Lloyd looked around the dark attic anxiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Jay prodded. “What about that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s because I smelled something weird,” Lloyd shrugged. “See, my cousin, he used to wear this, like, weird minty brand of deodorant, and while we were sitting here, I started smelling it super strong. The thing is, though, he died in this house five years ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now Jay was officially creeped out. “Um, how about you, heh, walk back with us. Because that’s really freaky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I guess,” Lloyd picked up his Ouija board and followed them to the stepladder down from the attic. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before they left, however, Jay looked around the cramped space. “Hey, Cole? We’re leaving now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned to the stepladder and climbed down into the chilly hallway below.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Accident or Murder?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hmm… yes. Another chapter. The falcon’s name is entirely a headcanon, as Zane calls him friend in the show and he doesn’t have a definitive canon name.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The group met the next day beneath the huckleberry tree in the front yard. Kai and Nya were there first, and Nya had a pair of dreamcatcher earrings on. Kai had a book on Ninjas. Lloyd and Zane arrived next. Lloyd was carrying a bag of stuff from his Uncle Wu, and Zane had a falcon perched on his wrist. Jay walked over, clutching his monster manual as he dropped into a cross-legged position on the warm summer grass. Kai looked up as Jay and Zane approached, and gave a mildly surprised expression. “Is that a falcon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Zane nodded, sitting down gently on the grass. The falcon, who was hooded, made a soft squeaking noise, and Zane reached up to touch it’s soft, fluffy feathers. “He’s my father’s, but I thought we could use him to locate spirits.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In the attic?!” Jay exclaimed, shuddering hard. “No way am I going up there again!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not the attic,” Zane answered. “The basement.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai tilted his head. “Why the basement? Is there something special down there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The fusebox is in the basement, as are the primary power sources. I believe that spirits would be able to appear to us easier because of the increased electrical charge,” Zane answered, stroking his falcon’s breast feathers as it bumped his fingers with its beak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, that makes sense,” Nya shrugged. “Should we head down?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Woah, woah, woah, slow down, sis,” Kai jumped in. “Let’s say, we go down into the basement, something spooky happens, and you all start blaming me. That wouldn’t be fair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t really want to go there either,” Lloyd added. “There are some… bad memories.” He shuddered hard. The falcon chirped, sensing his anxiety.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Nya asked him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My cousin, Morro,” Lloyd swallowed. “He… he was in the basement when he fell into a boarded-up well and died from asphyxiation when he couldn't breathe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s…” Kai was at a loss for words. “That’s terrifying.” Nope, apparently, he wasn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lloyd nodded, looking at the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone glanced around uneasily, unsure of how to respond until Zane held the arm with the falcon on it towards Lloyd. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you like to pet Buddy?” He offered. “That makes me feel better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lloyd smiled slightly, stroking one of the falcon’s wings. “His name’s Buddy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane nodded. “My brother Echo named him,” His smile faltered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai and Nya made eye contact, but Jay tilted his head, confused. “You have a brother?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane nodded. “Yes. We moved here so we could be closer to the hospital for his treatments.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zane, I’m,” Jay watched him for a minute. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re okay,” Zane nodded. “I should have explained when I brought him up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An uncomfortable silence followed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya finally broke it. “So, we headed down to the basement, or what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m</span>
  </em>
  <span> going down there,” Kai noted, standing up with a cheeky grin. “Don’t know about you guys, but I kinda want to see some ghosts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll come,” Zane added. “I am the one with Buddy, after all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m coming,” Nya added. “Jay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um,” Jay shivered in the warms sunlight, glancing around the front yard. There was no way he’d tell any of the others how scared he really was. “Yeah, heh. I’ll come.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone looked at Lloyd, who took a deep breath and straightened his shoulder. “I’m coming too.” He bit his lip anxiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, what are we waiting for?” Kai asked, hopping up off the grass.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How… do we get into the basement?” Jay asked. “Is there a door or…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s a cellar on the South side of the house,” Kai answered. “C’mon. It’ll be fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The group followed Kai across the wide, green, sunny lawn, under several cottonwood trees, and then alongside the house. Buddy chirped slightly, but Zane calmed the bird down, stroking its soft feathers. Nya kept watch for adults, but Lloyd was shaking, clutching his bag of stuff from his Uncle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Lloyd?” Jay asked, looking around the younger boy’s fuzzy mop of blond hair. “What’s in that bag?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lloyd shrugged. “My Uncle is super into like… Paranormal Investigations and stuff, and he let me borrow some of his things.” He opened the bag and let Jay look inside. “There’s an EMP detector and a laser thermometer. There’s also a spirit box and a couple of flashlights.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s a spirit box?” Nya asked as they arrived at a foreboding black door, halfway set in the ground, with a sturdy padlock on the front. Kai leaned forward, then observed the padlock for a second and began entering the three-digit code.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s like a word bank… I think,” Lloyd explained. “You can talk to spirits and they talk back using the box.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s… really creepy,” Jay answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it kind of is,” Lloyd added. “But it’s supposed to work super well. Mine’s just a modified radio, but my Uncle Wu says it’s worked for him before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got it!” Kai exclaimed, holding the open lock with a proud grin on his face. “Ready?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Nya grinned at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane nodded, and Buddy chirped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh-huh,” Lloyd swallowed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, heh,” Jay smiled anxiously, squeezing his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on down,” Kai explained, ducking down the narrow stairs to the bottom of the creepy basement. “Watch the spiderweb,” he pointed it out for everyone else to see. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay was the last one down, and he shuddered, half because that spider looked like it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely</span>
  </em>
  <span> about to eat him, and half because the basement was really, really cold. It didn’t smell too good either… like… dead things and moldy dirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room, however, looked exactly like one of the sets Jay had watched Cliff act on back in Hollywood. It was super similar to the set of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Arabella,</span>
  </em>
  <span> a movie about a demonic doll. Jay shivered and moved closer to Nya. Yikes. Hopefully, there were no demons down here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lloyd pulled a super-soaker from his bag and looked alert.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s the water gun for?” Kai asked, investigating a couple of rickety old chairs that looked older than the house. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got my dad to bless it,” Lloyd answered, swirling around to point it at a stray shadow (that was most likely caused by Buddy, who was making horrid little squeaking noises at the spiders). “So it’s full of Holy Water.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that sacrilegious?” Nya inquired, peering at some old bottles that had probably held brandy at some point or another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, he agreed to it, so… I don’t know,” Lloyd answered, grabbing an old fire poker and stabbing a couple of plywood planks on the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you doing that?” Jay asked, observing an old crate that may have held sugar at some point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m trying to find where the well is,” Lloyd answered. “So none of us join Morro.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wasn’t Morro alone?” Zane added to Jay’s question, holding Buddy up to a lamp in the shape of Christoph Sparrow, a character from Winnifred the Booh. “If any of us fell in, couldn’t the others go for help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess,” Lloyd pulled a piece of chalk out of his bag and circled part of the wall. “Hey don’t touch this, there are some rusty nails.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stepped forward and immediately fell through the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya shrieked, and Kai shouted, both diving to try and grab Lloyd before he fell into the well. Zane almost dropped Buddy, who squawked in protest, but Jay couldn’t move. He stood, frozen in horror as his friend fell through the moldering plywood towards the bottom of the well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wind rushed through the basement, and Lloyd’s hoodie stood straight up before he was dragged out of the well and halfway across the dingy basement floor. The same wind picked up Lloyd’s forgotten piece of chalk and slowly drew a wide circle on the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fear spiked through Jay, but before he could do anything, a bright orb manifested on the ground, molding, and shaping, as if some unseen sculptor was forming it, finally the light faded, and in its place, stood a teenager.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was around fourteen, with long black hair, dark green eyes and he was wearing a ghostbusters t-shirt. He also looked really annoyed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lloyd looked up at the ghost, trembling, and only managed to hoarsely whisper one word. “Morro?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The one and only,” the ghost answered. “Hey, cuz, long time no see, huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“B-b-b-but you died,” Lloyd scrambled backward, but only managed to crash into Kai’s shin, who was frozen in shock beside Nya. He scrambled for his Super Soaker, and shut his eyes, aiming it at Morro.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Morro hopped out of the way just as he fired. “JEEZ, Lloyd, watch where you’re pointing that!” He glided to stand next to Zane and tried to pet Buddy, who was freaking out. “Is this how you greet the person who saved you from falling into a well?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya snapped out of her horrified trance, shaking her head. “Wait, that was you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” Morro scoffed. “Who else? Besides, I gotta look out for my little cousin. It’s what Wu would want.” He yanked his fingers away from Buddy’s razor-sharp beak as the falcon snapped at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean… you’re really Morro?” Lloyd asked, pulling himself off the floor and crossing the room to stand before his ethereal cousin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Duh,” Morro grinned at him. “You can ask a security question if you still want to know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Lloyd looked around the room, spotting a set of salt-and-pepper shakers in the shape of chickens. “What kind of animal does Wu have as a pet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your uncle has a pet?” Kai asked, spinning around to grin at him. Nya shushed him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Morro shrugged. “A chicken, duh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> Morro!” Lloyd exclaimed, trying to throw his arms around Morro to give him a hug but failing. Morro patted his head instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yup,” the ghost added, fluffing Lloyd’s hair. “Anyway, I better go back to being invisible. Being physical like this is… exhausting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait,” Jay jumped in. “If you see a ghost named Cole, will you ask him to talk to us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We were using an Ouija Board and talked to both of them,” Nya added. “We were going to talk to Cole.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And also a spirit named Yang,” Kai added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“NO,” Everyone screamed at him, including Morro.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?” Kai asked, folding his arms and pouting. “He’s a ghost, it’s not like he can do anything to us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yang is dangerous,” Morro warned. “But he can’t do anything unless you invite him to. Ignore him and you’ll be fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure?” Nya asked, looking worried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Positive,” Morro answered, before floating across the basement. “I’ll get Cole. Seeya!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He vanished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really, Kai,” Nya snapped at her brother. “There is no way we should communicate with Yang, that’s crazy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please don’t say his name,” A deepish voice from across the room called. Lloyd scrambled for his EMP detector and turned it on, pointing it towards the sound of the voice. Hysterical beeping followed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Out from the shadows emerged a ghost boy. He was about their age, with handsomely tanned ghostly skin, dark brown eyes, and black hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Moving silently across the floor, he adjusted the pale burlap tunic he was wearing and came to float before them. Buddy chirred, then flew off Zane’s arm to perch on the shelving, chirping happily at the boy, demanding pats.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ghost stroked the falcon’s head, and the bird butted him in a friendly manner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you… Cole?” Jay asked, unable to take his eyes off the ghost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, yeah,” he answered. “You’re… Lloyd?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Jay’s brow furrowed in confusion. “I’m Jay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Lloyd,” Lloyd added, trying to wave but accidentally throwing the EMP detector across the room. He winced as it destroyed a moldy chair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” Cole smiled uneasily. “It’s kind of hard to tell people apart without eyes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is quite alright,” Zane smiled. “I am Zane, and the falcon is named Buddy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Buddy chirred again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Nya,” Nya introduced herself. “And this is Kai.” She pointed to her brother, who was staring at Cole in awe. “We wanted to talk to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did?” Cole asked, moving to sit on a crate, watching them with his ghostly black eyes. “About what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s up with…” Kai paused. “Y-A-N-G?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cole’s brow furrowed, but when he realized what Kai had said, his brow furrowed. “He’s a spirit, like me.” Cole shrugged. “We’re both here. Anything else?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’d you die?” Nya inquired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cole kicked his feet, looking at his legs. “I… um… I don’t want to talk about it. I can show you where it happened, though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you?” Zane asked, tilting his head. Buddy flew to his shoulder. “We have yet to explore most of the basement.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cole nodded, then stood, getting off his crate and leading the way towards a section of the wall that was boarded up. Pushing against it, the plywood and drywall partially melted in a showering stream of dust and debris.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they walked through the cellar, Jay came to stand beside Cole, watching the ghost out of the corner of his eye. “Hey Cole,” He finally asked, trying to attract the ghost’s attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?” Cole asked, glancing around the dimly lit basement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s your favorite food?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cole started in surprise, stopping suddenly and surprising everyone else. He glanced at Jay with wide eyes. “Why do you want to know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Jay chuckled nervously. “I mean, we’ve been pestering you about, um, how you died and stuff, and I didn’t think anyone ever asked you that before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cole sighed, his shoulder slumping. He began walking again. “No, no one’s ever asked me that before. Most people just see me and scream.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s really sad,” Jay answered, not knowing what else to say. He glanced at the dimly lit cellar as the group proceeded in awkward silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cake,” Cole finally said, his voice making it final. “Pecan cake in particular. Mrs. Mystake, our cook, made a really good pecan cake. Once she made an entire one for my birthday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane, always the intellectual one, came to join them. “What was life like for you in the manor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, I guess,” Cole shrugged. “I didn’t really like Mr. Y-A-N-G. My dad and I lived here as… domestic servants. His niece, however, her name was Seliel, she and I played a lot. It was fun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever happened to her?” Kai came to join them, his curiosity getting the better of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I dunno,” Cole shrugged. “I died at ten, and never saw her again. I don’t even know if she lived through the war.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Jay glanced aside sadly. “That’s awful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you remember dying?” Nya added, peeking around Kai.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Cole answered with a shrug. “I don’t really remember a lot about my life before this whole ghost thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yikes,” Lloyd used his small size to squirm between Kai and Zane. “How did you- um,” He appeared to suddenly remember the silent agreement over not talking about how Cole died and bit his lip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did I what?” Cole asked, looking over his shoulder at Lloyd.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um…” Lloyd scrambled. “How’d you… end up here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was born here, actually,” Cole glanced at the must ceiling. “I think we’re directly under the room I was born in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane observed the ceiling for a while. “That’s fascinating.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cole nodded, then stopped suddenly. “We’re here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here… oh, where you died,” Kai tilted his head, confused. “Are you sure?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya rolled her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cole squinted at the floor, then his whole body went rigid. “We have to leave.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But we just got here!” Lloyd protested. “We were going to investigate-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“NOW,” Cole snarled. “We have to get out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grabbed Jay and Nya’s arms, dragging both of them back towards the basement doors, muttering frantically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya fought against it. “OW! Let me go!” She squirmed, shoving his hand off and falling backward. “What’s wrong with you!?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t get it!” Cole argued. “The- there’s- arrrggg,” He sighed heavily. “I can’t say it. I can’t tell you. Speaking about it only gives him power.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was assumed by everyone that he meant Yang.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have a pen and paper,” Lloyd offered, fishing a red pen and sketchpad from his bag, handing them to Cole. Cole scooped up the pen and jaggedly wrote out a few sentences before handing it back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t read this until you leave the basement,” He instructed. “And don’t come back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He twisted around and disappeared. Everyone stared at the space where he stood for a long time before they all agreed that it might be best to abandon the basement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they reached the sunny side yard, however, they decided to read Cole’s message. Nya took the paper from Lloyd and unfolded it gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There, written in Cole’s jagged scrawl, was a list of six random words.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>PENTAGRAM</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>DIED</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>MORRO</span>
  </em>
</p><p><em><span>IS</span></em><em><span><br/></span></em> <em><span>YANG</span></em></p><p>
  <span>Lloyd took the paper back. “What do you think it means? Morro’s not Yang.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think Cole’s trying to warn us about something,” Zane added, petting a disgruntled Buddy. “But… What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay looked over Lloyd’s shoulder. “What’s a pentagram?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a five-pointed star with a circle around it,” Kai answered, observing the paper curiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s sometimes associated with evil, particularly the devil,” Nya added to Kai’s statement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do not believe that with our current knowledge level, we will be able to solve this mystery,” Zane interrupted. “Pertaining to Cole’s death and Morro’s apparition.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean, Zane?” Lloyd asked, folding the paper and sliding it into his bag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think we should gather knowledge about the supernatural before continuing our investigation,” Zane answered. “My father has an extensive collection of books. Would you all like to come over for lunch to investigate?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Nya answered. Kai nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Lloyd shifted his bag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry at the prospect of meeting his friend’s family. “Um, yeah, heh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come, then,” Zane smiled, “I’ll show you inside.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the group walked away, however, no one noticed the ghost that was watching them from beneath a willow tree. He stroked his black beard with a thin, spindly hand. He smiled, showing his ugly, rotting teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then he flickered and disappeared into the shadows.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Crazy or Spiritual? You Decide</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Zane!” A man resembling him exclaimed as the group walked into a ground-floor apartment. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing friends over!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I’m sorry,” Zane ducked his head slightly. Buddy chirred. “Should I have informed you--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no,” the older man laughed. “That’s quite alright, but please, introduce me to your friends!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of-of course,” Zane answered, stroking Buddy. “Father, these are my friends, Jay, Kai, Lloyd, and Nya.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pleased to meet you all,” Zane’s father smiled, his eyes crinkling. “You can call me Dr. Julien, or Mr. Julien.” He looked at Zane with a proud smile. “Now, Zane, soup’s on the stove, call me if you need me, Echo’s going into surgery soon, I’ll be back by four.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Father,” Zane nodded. “May we use your library while you’re out?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Julien laughed. “You don’t need to ask, Zane. Help yourself.” Walking to the entryway, he grabbed a pair of keys and a wallet before heading out the door. It slammed in his wake. Zane smiled, then moved to put Buddy into a large cage on the side of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do come in,” He invited his friends. “I’ll get lunch started.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I help?” Jay asked, following Zane over to Buddy’s cage. “With lunch, I mean?” Unlike his friends, Jay wasn’t as calm around other people’s belongings. Maybe that was from growing up in rich people houses, where the simplest of broken windows could cost thousands of dollars to be repaired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, Jay,” Zane smiled, pulling off his falconer’s glove. He then looked to the others and pointed to a closed door. “My father’s library is in there. Be careful with the books, please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Nya nodded, and led the way into the library. Jay followed Zane into the kitchen of the apartment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane opened a pot on the stove carefully and stirred whatever was inside. “Jay, will you cut up some green onions? They should be on the top shelf of the refrigerator.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Jay had to grab a stool to get the onions down, but he quickly got them. “Does your dad let you use the stove </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> knives?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He believes that I am responsible enough not to hurt myself using them,” Zane clarified, grabbing out a couple of apples and a paring knife. “Be careful with the knife,” He added. “And cut those into rings.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay nodded, moving to slice the onions. They worked in silence for a few minutes, before Jay piped up again. “What does your dad do for a living?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He is…” Zane sighed, stirring the pot. He picked up his paring knife and began to slice a few apples. “He is a mechanical engineer for a large company.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that’s neat,” Jay almost cut his thumb, missing it by millimeters. “What company?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Skulkin International,” Zane answered. “He helps design military vehicles.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s really cool,” Jay grinned. “Are you going to be like him when you grow up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to be an actor?” Zane suddenly snapped. Jay’s eyes widened in shock. He swallowed, and looked at the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zane, I’m sorry for being nosy, I--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane sighed, looking guilty. “It’s alright, Jay. You were just curious. I want to be a doctor. So I can cure the heart disease that Echo has. What would you like to be?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I’ll work for Sky Pirates Airplanes, like, as an engineer. That or NASA,” He smiled. “So I can build planes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane smiled at Jay. “That sounds like fun.” He jumped slightly. “May I have the green onions?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Jay passed the cutting board across the counter towards Zane. He sighed, and laughed nervously. “Do you think we’ll find anything in your dad’s library?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane slid the green onions into the soup and gave it a stir. “I believe so. My father practices history in his spare time. It’s a hobby. There’s a possibility that we could find something from when Cole was alive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay drummed his fingers on the counter, then glanced at the table. “Where do you guys keep your dishes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cupboard next to the sink,” Zane answered, laying out the apple slices on a wooden board. “And silverware is in the drawer next to the refrigerator.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay nodded, moving to set the table. “Do you think Cole finds us… annoying?” He asked softly, adjusting a fork.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane sucked in a lot of air and let it out in a big breath. Glancing up at the microwave located above the stove, he started. “Jay,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay looked up at the anxious sound of Zane’s voice, and started suddenly. Written in the condensation on the microwave was Cole’s answer. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t. You’re funny.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay blushed slightly. “You think I’m funny?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You are.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Jay blushed harder, his sticking-out ears turning red, and looked away from the microwave, moving to continue setting the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The soup is ready,” Zane commented. “Jay, will you tell our friends?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Jay answered, leaving the room and walking towards the library. As he was walking, a sense of protective peace came over him, almost as if someone was reassuring him he was okay. It was a feeling he’d never felt around his constantly busy dad or missing mom. It was a brotherly feeling, a comfortable feeling, and Jay instinctively knew in that moment that Cole was with him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Cole,” He whispered softly into the air, before he entered the room where his friends were. Inside, Nya and Lloyd were looking through old newspapers and atlas’s, while Kai was flipping through a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Halvin and Cobbes </span>
  </em>
  <span>book, looking bored out of his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you find anything?” Jay asked, coming to sit next to Nya. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not exactly,” She answered, flipping through the book. “There are some books on the upper shelves, though, that I kind of want to look through, in particular,” She took his hand to point to a tiny leather-bound journal at the end of the shelf. “That one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s so special about that one?” Jay asked, looking up at it, confused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Nya answered, watching it with narrowed eyes. “It just… it looks like it could be important.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it time for lunch yet?” Kai asked, looking up from the comic book, still evidently bored.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah, heh,” Jay started slightly. “Zane wanted me to come get you guys.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Lloyd got up and left the room, Kai on his tail. Nya, however, didn’t come, instead choosing to stare up at the journal on the top shelf. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You coming?” Jay asked, standing in the doorway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya didn’t look at him. “Start without me. I’m going to try something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay…” Jay left slightly reluctantly. Even though he knew the house was safe, he couldn’t shake the feeling he had… that something… someone… was lurking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coming into the dining alcove, Jay sat down next to Lloyd as Zane passed around bowls of the warm soup and plenty of crackers. Kai munched a cracker as Zane sat down, all of them beginning to eat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few minutes, however, Lloyd looked up. “Hey, back in the basement, did Morro seem…. Off… to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Off?” Kai asked, biting into another cracker with a loud crunch. “What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I noticed that Buddy was acting aggressively,” Zane offered. “That’s kind of weird, as he’s normally friendly around strangers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, and did anyone see how he reacted to Lloyd’s water gun?” Jay asked, stirring his soup. “Cole wasn’t bothered by it, but Morro really freaked out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lloyd sighed heavily. “That’s what I thought.” He frowned. “Guys… I don’t think that was Morro we were talking to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It… wasn’t?” Kai asked, setting down another cracker before he bit into it. “What… was it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think it was… a demon,” Lloyd answered softly. “My Uncle Wu is kind of an expert on this stuff, what with his paranormal investigations and all. He told me that demons sometime take the forms of children and teenagers so they don’t alarm people.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think he was a demon?” Jay asked. “Is that even possible?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Animals don’t like demons,” Zane jumped in as his brain made the connection. “Buddy must’ve sensed what he was!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold up,” Kai interrupted, looking confused. “If Morro’s a demon, what does that make, uh… Y-A-N-G?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um…. another demon?” Jay offered, thinking over Kai’s idea.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Could there be a possibility that… Morro and Y-A-N-G are… the same?” Zane asked, looking at Lloyd with a confused expression. “That’s possible, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well…” Lloyd sighed. “I don’t know. I’d have to ask Uncle Wu.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Could we do that after we finish here?” Jay asked, glancing at Zane and Kai.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… guess…” Lloyd squirmed, looking uncomfortable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are… you okay?” Kai asked, his eyebrows crinkling in concern.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s just…” Lloyd bit his lip. “My uncle… he’s kind of… um… eccentric?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Kai relaxed slightly. “He’s a little crazy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lloyd nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai shrugged. “Okay, whatever. Can we still head over?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lloyd stared at Kai, then at Zane and Jay. “Wait, you guys don’t think I’m…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Kai shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course not,” Zane looked at Lloyd. “We wouldn’t think that about you if your own father was like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah,” Jay shrugged. “I’ve met a bunch of crazy Hollywood people. Your uncle probably won’t even come close.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as Lloyd relaxed, however, there was a loud crash from the other room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“NYA!” Kai shouted, shoving everyone aside as he ran to the library. Jay and Zane were hot on his trail, with Zane stopping only to set down his spoon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the group finally made it to the library, they found Nya sprawled on the floor next to a pile of encyclopedias. She was holding the journal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nya!” Kai moved to help his sister up, and stared at her in shock. “What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I fell,” She rubbed her back where she’d landed on Kai’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Halvin and Cobbes</span>
  </em>
  <span> book. “It’s not that bad, I’m just sore.” Nya shrugged. “But on the bright side, I got this.” She held up the book proudly, like it was a trophy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” Lloyd asked, coming closer as Nya held the book low enough so everyone could see.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She frowned, biting her lip. “Some old journal. Looks neat, though.” Nya flipped it open and the entire room gasped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that… a pentagram?” Jay asked, pointing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are those diagrams of people getting stabbed?” Lloyd’s eyes were as wide as tortillas.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s a list of names,” Zane pointed out. “But a lot of them are crossed out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai temporarily blocked Zane’s view while trying to get a better view for himself. “One’s circled. It’s… Cole Brookestone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All five of them looked up and made eye contact before looking back down fast. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep reading,” Lloyd whispered, staring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya flipped through the pages of the diary, watching in horror as more secrets revealed themselves. Words flashed across the pages. “Portal” “Sacrifice” and “demon” being the most common. Kai blinked slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think… Y-A-N-G was trying to… summon something?” Kai asked softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Zane bit his lip. “It appears that could be possible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have an idea,” Lloyd jumped in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Jay asked, looking at Lloyd with a curious expression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How about we… talk to my uncle?” Lloyd offered hesitantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think?” Nya asked. “Will that help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lloyd shrugged. “It might.” He sighed. “I mean, if you guys want to…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai and Zane made eye contact. Jay shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya sighed heavily, her whole body slumping. “That’s a yes.” She shut the journal carefully (it was very old). “Where does your uncle live, by the way?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lloyd nodded to the door. “Down the hall. I’ll show you guys.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The group made their way to the door, where there was a pause as everyone silently put on shoes and jackets. Finally they left the apartment, Zane neatly locking it behind them with a C5LO themed key (from the movie </span>
  <em>
    <span>Space Attacks</span>
  </em>
  <span>).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is there anything we should know about your uncle?” Jay asked Lloyd as the group moved through the chilly hallways. “Like, in preparation?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Lloyd bit his lip. “He has a pet chicken, but don’t touch it, even if it comes up to you. He’s super serious about that for whatever reason. If he starts ranting about ‘bad energies’, ignore him. I can talk him down. He’s also convinced my dad is evil and snakes are coming for him. Just try to be nice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s… kind of weird?” Jay offered. In all honesty, however, it wasn’t that weird for him. He’d met plenty of crazy people during his time in Hollywood. Wu would probably be no different. Piece of cake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Lloyd sighed, as they approached a door painted metallic gold. It was the only gold door in the building, as the others were an old, lovely spruce. Lloyd pointed it out. “My uncle changed the door to… um… ‘ward off spirits’. That’s why it’s different. The real one’s inside, but that one’s from House Depot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya looked up at it suspiciously. “Are you sure he can help us?” She asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lloyd was about to reassure her when Kai jumped in. “Of course he can. He’s just the friendly neighborhood crazy guy, sis.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya rolled her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane looked over the door, and only Jay noticed that his hand immediately went to stroke Buddy before remembering that the falcon wasn’t there anymore. He swallowed nervously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lloyd pulled an enormous ornate bronze key from his pocket and inserted it into an equally enormous, ornate and bronze lock on the door (it looked quite out of place, however, like diamonds on a pink barbie house).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inserting the key, he twisted it a total of three times before the lock clicked and the door swung open. He entered the home, Kai and Nya directly behind him. Zane followed them, and with a swallow, Jay entered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To his surprise, the house was surprisingly neatly furnished, even if it looked like it had been pulled from the 1940’s. The couch and chairs made up the neat living room, there was a kitchenette down the hall, and a bedroom off to one side. A cat carrier, the kind with a removable top, was set beneath a side table. It was covered in straw, and there were two pet bowls full of chicken feed beside it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sitting on one of the couches, the teal one with the low back, was an older man. Lloyd hadn’t mentioned how old his uncle was, and Jay had been half-expecting a man in his twenties, not forties. He was bald, wearing a straw rice farmer’s hat, and had a long, white beard that lay against his face, brushed neatly. He looked up at the crowd of children that had just invaded his home. The man’s face was puzzled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, Uncle Wu?” Lloyd smiled slightly, waving. “My friends and I wanted to ask you some stuff, if that’s okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wu stood up, and he was… surprisingly short. He smiled at the group, his eyes crinkling. “Pleased to meet you all. Would you like to stay for tea?” He gestured to the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um,” Kai looked at Lloyd.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pardon me, Mr. Wu,” Zane cut in. “But it is not traditionally tea time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nonsense,” Wu answered, motioning for them to follow him. Lloyd did so, and the group followed his lead. “Oh, and please, call me Sensei.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya raised an eyebrow at Lloyd, but he shrugged. “Play along,” He hissed to everyone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay and Kai made eye contact and then both rolled their eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wu pulled a neat teal teapot from the stove and got out several cups. The group sat down at his small, circular, table, Nya between Kai and Zane, Zane beside Jay, and Lloyd next to Jay, directly beside the last chair, which was left empty for Wu.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, um… Uncle?” Lloyd called as the rest of the group sat in anxious silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s Sensei, Lloyd,” Wu reminded him gently. “But what is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you ever noticed anything… off about this house?” Lloyd asked, almost as if he was trying to be subtle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay opened his mouth to make a joke, but shut it immediately as the temperature in the room seemed to plummet. Wu set down the kettle slowly, still facing away from them, and took a few deep breaths.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, with a swift, erratic movement, he spun around to face them all. His eyes were crazy, pupils dilating wildly. He opened his mouth, and Jay shrank back in his chair anxiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wu looked around crazily, and when he had decided it was safe, he spoke. “Well, for starters, there’s a portal to hell in the basement.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Incident</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The group stared at Wu in shock, several mouths agape. Wu narrowed his golden eyes and sighed in frustration. “No, no, you’re all wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re… wrong?” Lloyd asked, genuinely confused for the first time since they’d entered. He stared at Wu, his forehead crinkling in confusion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wu rolled his eyes. “The energies are off. You’re sitting in the wrong spots!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What….” Kai trailed off, glancing at Lloyd over and over again, looking for clarity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wu clapped Zane’s shoulder, making the normally cool-headed boy jump in his seat. Wu frowned at him, then pointed to where Jay was sitting. “Switch seats with him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two made eye contact, but followed Wu’s instruction, switching seats. Wu proceeded to shuffle everyone else around (even adding two chairs at one point, then taking one away) until Nya was on the left side of Jay, and an empty chair was to his right, Zane was beside the chair, Kai was between Zane and Lloyd, and Wu was between Lloyd and Nya.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Wu finally said proudly, grabbing the teapot and pouring everyone a glass of warm water, passing it around along with a small box of Chamomile and Lemon Balm tea. “What was it again that you wanted to ask me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The group glanced at Lloyd, the obvious spokesperson, and he grabbed a teabag and sighed heavily. “Well… you know how you gave me an Ouija Board last week?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wu smiled warmly. “Yes, it was hand-carved by my father. He was a lovely old man, you would have enjoyed his company.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, we, sort-of, used it,” Lloyd ducked his head, running the tip of his index finger up and down the handle of the cup, looking anxious. “And… we made contact.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wu took a long drink of his tea, nodding. He set it down politely. “You did? That was fortunate. Your father had no such luck.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh,” Lloyd looked like he was about to explode with panic. Obviously, he was uncomfortable around his uncle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We think we found a demon,” Kai cut in bluntly. “And the ghost of a… what was it again?” He glanced at Nya for support, and she jumped in to help her brother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ceremonial sacrifice,” She added. “To the devil.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We also discovered a pentagram on the basement floor,” Zane commented, always the factual one. “And a journal full of spells.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wu sighed heavily. “That is… concerning, at the least, but if none of the entities seem hostile, then I would advise leaving them be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay wanted to pinch himself but asked the question anyway. “What if… the things are hostile?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wu looked up at him, his eyes strangely green. Jay would’ve sworn they were gold earlier… but… maybe he misjudged the color.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you must take other measures,” He answered curtly. Glancing at Lloyd, Wu frowned. “May I see the journal, nephew?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Lloyd answered, passing Wu the journal, but narrowly avoiding coming into contact with a small, black-white speckled hen that hopped up onto the table, clucking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wu flipped through the journal, his frown growing deeper as he searched it over. “Hmm…” Looking up, he met Lloyd’s eyes. “This appears to be authentic.” Going back to the journal, he pored over it for a few moments. “There are several spells in here related to demons and the devil.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The devil?” Kai asked. “Like… the Christan one? What was his name… Lucifer?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That devil,” Wu answered with a nod, going back to the journal. “It is said that there are ways of summoning him to our plane of existence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hen, meanwhile, clucking softly, came to help herself to Jay’s tea. Entranced by the quiet, beautiful animal, he gingerly reached forward to stroke its chest feathers. The hen clucked softly, leaning into him. Jay watched in awe as a second impression on the bird’s feathers appeared, stroking the chicken just as gently as Jay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly terrified, Jay jerked his hand back, worried that Wu was going to yell at him, but… Wu was too entranced in his book to pay any mind to Jay and the chicken. The gentle pressure on the chicken’s chest lifted, and the bird walked away, clucking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A gentle pressure made itself known on Jay’s fingers, almost as if someone had laid their hand over his. The same warm, protected feeling from earlier came over him, and Jay relaxed into Cole’s presence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See, here are several references to the Seven Princes of Hell, particularly Mammon and Asmodeus, curious, considering they are the princes of Greed and Lust,” Wu pointed out two symbols, one of what looked like an Egyptian hieroglyph of a man gripping several coins, besides that one was a middle-ages style drawing of some sort of multiple-heads, multiple bodied beast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What could that mean?” Nya asked, jerking one of her hands away from the curious chicken. “Does it have an effect on anything?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wu nodded. “It can affect who the user is trying to summon, but it also requires other ingredients than the other demons. For example, Beelzebub, the Prince of Gluttony, needs food, mostly meat, in order to be summoned. These two appear to need….” He searched the journal again. “Ah, Mammon needs riches, mainly gold and silver, while Asmodeus needs the blood of a virgin.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s it!” Kai suddenly shouted, leaping up and jolting the table, causing Zane’s cup to spill. “That’s how Cole died!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya looked up at him, confused. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai rolled his eyes. “The blood of a virgin, you guys, that’s why Cole was killed!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane sighed, anxious. “Kai, perhaps we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. There could be a possibility that he died from an accident.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zane’s right,” Nya jumped in. “We don’t even know if he was a virgin.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He was like- what- twelve?” Jay asked, looking around at his friends. He glanced at Wu, who was sipping his tea, nonchalantly watching the group. “I’m pretty sure he was a virgin.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, who says he was the virgin they killed, assuming he was a virgin,” Lloyd pointed out. “There was a whole list of names in the book.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but they were crossed out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey guys,” Jay finally worked up the courage to bring this up. “I think I have to head home now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What time is it?” Nya asked, changing the subject while glancing around the room for a clock. Unfortunately, however, Wu appeared to have removed every clock in the room, even disabling the stove and microwave clocks, so they only displayed blinking green zeros.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wu shrugged. “Time is an abstract concept. I have rid my home of any means by which to measure it. That way I can truly open myself to energies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane glanced at the white Strength Rangers watch on his wrist. “It’s 13:52.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, goodness,” Wu looked up. “Well, you all must leave. It’s almost time for my afternoon meditation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Afternoon what now?” Kai asked, drumming his fingers on the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Meditation,” Wu clarified. “It is why I can feel the energies. In fact, if you wish to communicate with the spirits you spoke to more clearly, I encourage you to meditate. It can be very helpful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you meditate?” Kai asked as the group began to slowly stand up and gather their things. The chicken stepped on Jay’s foot while hopping up on his chair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Focus on breathing,” Wu advised. Lloyd led the group towards the door through the living room. “Feel the world around you. Eliminate any distractions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Jay answered, following Lloyd into the hall, with Nya, Kai and Zane right behind him. The chicken hopped up onto a table beside the doorway and clucked nervously at Wu.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, and one final thing,” Wu smiled. “Be careful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shut the door quickly, making Jay and Zane, the two more skittish in the group, jump. Nya and Kai made eye contact, looking as though they’d started their own secret sibling club language that involved eye contact. Lloyd stared at the door for a moment with a puzzled expression on his face, before he glanced around at his friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… when do we want to meet again?” He asked, particularly looking at Nya and Kai, both of who had bossy personalities. They stopped making eye contact to look at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We could try a seance,” Nya suggested. “Tonight, I mean. In the basement.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s that?” Jay asked, yawning. “Some sort of Ouija board?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane stretched his shoulder. “No, it’s a ritual to communicate with spirits.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai caught Jay’s yawn and sighed. “Yeah. Does 20:00 work for you guys?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay nodded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Lloyd answered, catching the yawn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See you then,” Zane added, and the group dispersed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>⚬⚬</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jay sat down on his hard bedroom floor. Sneaking past his dad had been easy enough. Cliff was working so hard on property disclosure agreements, he didn’t have time to watch Jay. Jay had grabbed a bunch of cilantro from the kitchen. He didn’t know if it would help, but the people in movies almost always had herbs while meditating. He was going to grab some tea as well because that seemed to correlate, but he was already exhausted from such a long day, that he decided to get started as soon as he could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. Trying to focus on the world around him was… hard… very hard. He just wanted to… rest? What was he supposed to be doing again? Why was he on the floor? Why couldn’t he sit on his bed?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay yawned, and the world went black.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Black.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Black.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Very black.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No thoughts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No dreams.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only a sluggish sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“JAY!!!!!!!” A familiar ghostly voice screamed at his subconscious. Jay fought to open his eyes but they were… so…. So…… heavy…. He shook his head frantically. “Jay!” Cole screamed again. “Hang on. You’re not gonna like this, but-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay snapped awake on his feet, an unconscious Wu on the floor before him. He stared in shock, blinking hard. “Did… did I do that?” He leaned over to make sure Wu was breathing. He was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jay,” Cole’s voice again, this time from Jay’s head. “Look, I’m sorry, but I had to possess you. Wu… drugged you and the others with the tea. You gotta warn them before he wakes up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wu… what?” Jay asked, blinking heavily. “You… possessed me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cole sounded exasperated. “Look, I’ll explain later, you have to warn everyone else, COME ON!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay moved around Wu and grabbed a thumbtack from his desk, running towards the door. Shoving it open, he found that the hallway was empty. “Dad?” He called, hoping his father would respond. Silence followed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s gone. Y-a-n-g took all the grownups. You have to find the others,” Cole answered desperately. Jay nodded, grabbing his coat and setting out through the hallways. His legs and lungs burned with every movement, screaming at him to stop and slow down. His eyes watered. Jay wanted to stop. He wanted to sleep. This was really, really… hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, I’m taking over,” Cole added. Jay blinked, and when he opened his eyes, he was standing right in front of Kai and Nya’s apartment. He reached up to knock, but noticing the door was ajar, he shoved at it, and the wood gave. Running in, he searched the otherwise immaculate apartment for signs of a break-in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where are they?” He asked Cole, panicking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Third door down the hallway,” Cole answered quickly. “It’s their dad’s office.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay found the door, opened it quickly, and was horrified at the sight of the normally bossy, headstrong twins lying motionless on the ground. He went to Nya first.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nya!” Jay cried, shaking his friend’s shoulders. She didn’t respond at first, but groaned heavily finally, opening her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jay…” She whimpered, blinking hard. “What is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wu drugged you guys and Yang kidnapped all the adults,” He whimpered. “Come on, we have to go rescue everyone!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya lay back down. “Later, Jay. I’m too…” She sighed. “Tired.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wu did what?” Kai asked, looking up, blinking heavily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He drugged us,” Jay explained, beginning to panic. “We have to warn the others.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” Kai answered, leaping up and picking up his sister. “Where do we go next?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh,” Jay stared at Kai for a long moment. “Um, how come the drugs didn’t affect you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai rolled his eyes. “Tea is for sissies. I only drank hot water.” He shifted Nya so she was across his back in a fireman’s carry. “Stop staring!” Kai snapped. “She’d get mad at me if I carried her any other way. Where do we go next?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cole?” Jay asked, looking around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zane,” Cole answered in his head. “He didn’t drink too much of it. The sedatives really only affected you and Nya.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Got it,” Jay answered Cole. “We have to go get Zane next.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai and Jay moved out of the Smith’s apartment and down the hallway, sprinting towards Zane’s home. When they arrived, however, Jay realized with a growing horror that the door was locked. He jiggled the handle, but nothing happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zane must’ve locked the door after he went inside,” Jay answered. “What are we going to do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai touched the door, looking up at the firm, slightly warped dark spruce and bit his lip, much the way Lloyd did. “I… don’t know. Could you ask Cole?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh,” Jay closed his eyes. “Cole?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>White-hot pain seared through Jay’s foot and he screamed, opening his eyes to bleeding toes and a broken door. He bit back sobs as the injuries immediately healed over. Jay swallowed nervously, before looking over at the door and a shocked Kai.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did… did Cole do that?” He whispered, staring at the blood-soaked into the carpet and the sickening red splash on the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay swallowed and nodded. “He also used my body to knock out Wu. Come on.” Crawling, he found that the broken door was just wide enough for him to fit through. Kai slid Nya through next, and Jay held her away from the opening as Kai wriggled into the apartment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grunted, standing up, and picking up Nya. “Now we have to find Zane, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Jay answered, looking around the room. Just as he did, however, Buddy noticed them and squawked happily as a greeting. Buddy chirred loudly, and Jay ran over, trying to shut up the bird. Just as he reached the cage, however, a confused Zane walked into the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jay? Kai?!” He stared at the kids in the apartment. “What happened to Nya?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wu drugged the tea,” Kai explained, laying his sister down on the couch and trying unsuccessfully to wake her. “All the adults are missing and Wu tried to kill Jay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane stared for a few seconds, before shaking his head. “I’ll try and call my dad. Maybe he’ll be able to help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He left the room, but as soon as he did, there was a crashing noise as something rammed the door. Jay and Kai made eye contact and ran to pull the piano in front of the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was another crashing slam. Kai grabbed Jay’s wrist and dragged him behind the door as the door exploded inwards, splinters flying everywhere. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane ran into the room, and Kai and Jay looked over the couch to see Wu walk in, knuckles bleeding and wrist hanging at a strange angle. He smiled, tossing a half-conscious Lloyd on the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai leapt over the couch instantly to grab Lloyd. He scowled at Wu. “He’s your nephew! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wu’s face went slack, and he collapsed. Kai stared in shock before he and the others noticed the greenish ghoul floating above Wu, his thin lips stretched into an unnatural smile, with blood flecked around his mouth and bloodshot eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grinned at them all. “Gotcha.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Demons</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The greenish man stood above the unconscious forms of Wu and Lloyd, smiling so wide his eyes vanished into the scrawny skin of his cheeks and his mouth seemed wider than a black hole. Jay swallowed, feeling the swirly movement of Cole inhabiting his flesh but not his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who are you!?” Kai snapped first, tense and furious. Jay didn’t even know someone his age could look that much like they were about to kill someone. “What did you do to Wu and Lloyd? Where are our parents?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man laughed, his maw opening wider than physically possible and rows of sharp teeth showing themselves. “Patience, child. Whatever happened to hello?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Evil hell demons don’t deserve hellos,” A groggy voice answered from the couch as Nya sat up, rubbing her droopy eyes with the heel of her hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Silence,” Yang snapped. He frowned deeply. “Wretches should wait until they are spoken too. What a disobedient little-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” Kai snapped. “Don’t call my sister a wretch!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t continue to provoke me,” Yang snapped. “I went to all this trouble to make offerings and sacrifices, and a simple interruption from my clueless niece sent it all into oblivion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your niece?” Zane asked from across the room, subtly moving to stand in front of Jay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang sighed dramatically. “My niece, Seleil. She was such a pretty little thing, too. But when she walked in on my studies one day,” He sighed in a fake way. “I had no choice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> killed her?!” Cole’s voice from Jay’s mouth spat. Jay blinked, surprised that Cole was able to manipulate different parts of his body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang smiled at Jay like a hungry predator. “Of course. What else would I have done?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something oddly tugged at Jay’s chest and Cole solidified in front of him, almost as angry as Kai. “You didn’t even care about your own niece?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang glared. “You. You couldn’t have died soon enough to summon the demons? You couldn’t have died quietly enough as not to alert the cook!?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You killed me!” Cole argued, gasping heavily, his face furious. “And for what? Riches?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fool,” Yang muttered before he leapt forward and snatched at Kai. Kai tried kicking at him, but when he couldn’t fight the spirit, he panicked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“HELP,” He shouted desperately trying to get out of Yang’s grip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang laughed harder. “Oh, you stupid, stupid little boys. You’re all going to--” He cut himself off screaming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His temporary distraction gave Nya just enough of a window to be able to fling a vase of water at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Screaming, he stumbled across the ground, odd, thick green tears leaking from his eyes as he grabbed at Zane’s throat, lifting him up. “If I can’t get one of you, I’ll get the other.” He smiled as Zane’s eyes bulged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cole flung himself forward, colliding with Yang and rolling into the wall. His eyes were full of fire. Zane looked up from the floor, coughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have any squirt guns?” Jay shouted to Zane as Cole attempted to wrestle Yang into a chokehold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Squirt guns?” Zane coughed, looking up at Jay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, never mind,” He answered, running into the kitchen and grabbing a cooking pot, filling it with water. There was a horrible crash as Yang and Cole slammed into one of the walls, cracking the drywall. Jay all but gave up at this point, leaving the sink on and grabbing the pot of water, sloshing it everywhere.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sprinting back into the living room, Jay spun to toss the water on Yang, but the loose rug caused him to slip and spill the water all over the two ghosts. He shouted in shock, sliding into Zane and dropping the pot, which clanged against the hardwood floor, bouncing into the wall and denting it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then the screaming began.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cole and Yang yanked themselves apart, both screaming and crying in pain, clawing at their own skin, strange black boils and blisters beginning to burn the ghost’s skin. Cole’s green skin split like someone was rearing it, and golden bloody liquid began draining out of it, dripping on the floor. Kai gasped, stumbling backward, Lloyd’s unconscious form draped across his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that..” he asked, moving to Zane.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zane nodded, his eyes the size of dinner plates. “Ichor. The mythical blood of immortals.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ichor?” Kai whispered. “That’s not real?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya dragged herself behind Kai to snap at him. “We’re watching two ghosts battle, Kai!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai looked at Cole and Yang, collapsed on the floor, and screaming still. “What do we do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think we should hide,” Jay said loudly. “Zane?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The library has a steel deadbolt,” He answered. “And there’s a trapdoor in the floor. Come on!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The group began to follow Zane to the basement, before what he said finally registered to Nya. “You have a trapdoor in the library?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It used to be a tornado shelter back in the day,” Zane answered, yanking back the rug and unlatching the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai pulled Lloyd closer to him and went down first, Jay behind him and Nya after them. Zane came down last, latching the door as he did, and closing them into the darkness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, what do we do now?” Nya asked in the darkness of the tornado shelter. Zane turned on an electric camping lantern hanging from the ceiling and illuminated the room in dim but manageable light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do not know,” Zane sighed. “Does anyone have any ideas of how we can fight Yang?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Water?” Jay suggested. “It seems to hurt him but… that might also hurt Cole.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’d have to submerge him, though,” Nya answered. “How are we gonna do that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Any ideas, Kai?” Zane asked the abnormally quiet older boy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Kai answered distractedly, shifting Lloyd’s head so he could breathe easier. He frowned, shoulders slumping as he ran over a bleeding bruise on Lloyd’s skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is he…” Jay couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I dunno,” Kai shrugged. “I mean, he’s been unconscious for a really long time, and I don’t know how good that’ll be for his brain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya turned her attention to Lloyd and looked him over, grabbing at his wrist and feeling for anything that could indicate he was alright. “I can feel a pulse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm,” Kai barely answered, pale and sweating as he looked over Lloyd. He gripped the unconscious boy’s hand and grimaced so hard his entire face contorted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay walked over and put a hand on Kai’s shoulder, looking up at his face. Even Zane walked over, eyes wide as Kai sniffled deeply and tears began to leak from his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Should’ve been me,” he muttered. “Damn that devil worshiping </span>
  <em>
    <span>asshole</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya pulled her brother into a hug rather than chastise him for language, and soon Jay and Zane found themselves gripping Kai into the warmest, solid hug any of them had ever been in. Kai sniffled and hugged them all back, practically begging for warmth and love from all of them. Jay began to tremble, panic rising in him as the gravity of the situation rested upon his shoulders. This wasn’t a game anymore. They could all get really hurt or even die. All because they thought prodding ghosts using an Ouija board was a good idea.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay’s mind wandered to the other boy who’d died in this house. Had Yang shoved Morro into that well because he was poking around or-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wait. The well?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A well that water sometimes comes from. Morro died from asphyxiation, but what if he didn’t? What if he drowned? Asphyxiation is not being able to breathe, and if Morro had drowned then he wouldn’t have been able to--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys,” Jay finally spoke. “I think I know how to defeat Yang.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>⚬⚬</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You really think that’ll work?” Nya asked Jay, fiddling with the hem of her shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m almost positive,” Jay answered. “I mean, the water worked before, why couldn’t it work now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It just might,” Zane nodded. “Now all we need to do is execute the plan!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai jumped in, his normally bossy personality kicking in as he looked over his friends. “Alright. So. We need this wall broken in,” He pointed to said wall. “We need the well covered, and then we need someone to lure Yang down here so we can get him into the well. Any takers?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll help with the wall,” Zane started. “It’s drywall, and I’ll be able to get through it easily. Kai, you help me, and then we can cover the well. Nya, watch the door just in case Yang tries to break through, and Jay, you keep an eye on Lloyd.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay nodded, hopping up on the shelf Lloyd was laid out across, and watched his friends prepare. Nya grabbed a broom handle from the corner and armed herself with it, glaring up at the ceiling trapdoor. Kai and Zane grabbed two shovels and turned to the wall, swinging the sharp, rusted blades of the shovels above their heads and slamming them repeatedly into the wall, over and over until they had created a hole wide enough for one of them to climb through, in which case, Kai scrambled through and helped Zane by using the back of a hammer to yank out the nails holding the wall together. Both of them, it turned out, were strong enough to pull the entire wall apart, though that was to be expected. It was falling apart after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From upstairs, there was a heavy, hard thump. Almost as if something heavy had stomped on the floor. Jay and Nya froze, both holding their breath as the wood above them creaked with Yang’s footsteps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come out, come out wherever you are,” Yang called nastily, stomping hard on the wood floors and listening to the sound.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s checking to see if the floor’s hollow,” Nya hissed as Jay stared up at the ceiling, bewildered. “He can hear the empty space.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay glanced at Kai and Zane, who were pulling a couple of crushed cardboard boxes over the hole. A hard, heavy thump echoed as Yang beat the trapdoor. Jay bit his lips and glanced at Nya.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A groan from behind them alerted Jay, who spun around to see a groggy, confused Lloyd trying to sit up. “Oooh, my head…” Lloyd muttered, rubbing a large bump on his skull and squeezing his eyes shut, no doubt trying to get rid of a throbbing head. “What - ow - happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yang um… sedated us,” Jay answered. “And we’re hiding in Zane’s storm cellar from him. We have a plan, though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Figures,” Lloyd groaned. “I should’ve told you guys when I realized Wu was acting off. That wasn’t my uncle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’d you know?” Jay asked. “He seemed pretty normal to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wu let you touch the chicken, he acted too normal and he didn’t get mad when Kai didn’t take any tea like he normally would,” Lloyd asked, rubbing his head harder as if that would get rid of the pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… yeah,” Jay answered, remembering the soft feathers of Wu’s pet chicken. “I kinda thought that was weird, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The sedative is super strong,” Lloyd answered. “Wu always keeps some prescription sedatives on hand if he ever has an anxiety attack. He must’ve crushed some up inside the teabags.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t know you could steep prescription meds,” Nya asked from the door. “Kinda weird that it worked.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Lloyd answered. “I’m just glad it wore off. My head really, really hurts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai and Zane came back to the storm cellar, each armed with some random tools. Zane was holding a pair of circular digging tools that looked suspiciously like tire caps. Kai had a dissected blade from a lawnmower, and he handed Jay the other thing he was holding, an old whip-looking thing that also kind of looked like nunchucks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where’s you get </span>
  <em>
    <span>nunchucks?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Jay asked, looking down at the wooden thing in his arm. It was heavy against the smooth, uncalloused ski of his palms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai was busy handing Nya a pitchfork, but Zane answered Jay. “It is an old fashioned farm flail. They were used to shuck wheat back in the day. Hold the long side and swing the shorter side at something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay looked over the flail, nodding. “Should we fill Lloyd in on the plan?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai nodded. “Zane and I covered the well. Avoid any cardboard boxes on the floor, and try and lure Yang towards the basement door.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If all else fails, we believe that it may be raining outside,” Zane added. “If we lure Yang outdoors, he would die in the rain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lloyd nodded solidly. “I got it. You guys ready?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya smiled. “Can I…?” She nodded towards the trapdoor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai grinned. “Of course. Everyone ready?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay nodded, standing up and tensing his leg muscles. For once, being the fastest kid in fifth grade was going to come in handy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Zane nodded, gripping the tire caps so hard his poor knuckles were white with the strain. “Lloyd?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lloyd hopped off the shelf and moved to stand beside Kai. “I’ll try my best.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” Nya climbed the ladder, braced herself, then knocked on the trapdoor three times, the sharp raps ringing out in the hollowness of the basement. With a swift movement, Nya flipped open the latch, shoved open the door, and leapt down the ladder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang roared in indignant triumph, lunging towards the trapdoor, Cole on his tail.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“SCATTER!” Kai yelled, running towards the back of the basement, half-dragging Lloyd. Nya took off towards the shelving against the opposite wall, and Zane and Jay began running towards the door, sticking close to the wall so they didn’t fall in the well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang pulled himself off the floor, gasping for breath and growling horribly. “Fools. You think you can run? I can possess anything!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Touchy, touchy,” Kai taunted from somewhere in the massive basement. He was out of sight, and Jay couldn’t do anything but hold still and hope Yang didn’t see him. Kai snorted. “What can’t find us, big guy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You meddling kids,” Yang snarled. “If it weren't for your ridiculous hatred of tea, I would already have killed you all!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where’d you learn that?!” Kai called from a different part of the basement. Jay realized with a jolt what his friend was doing. He was distracting Yang. He was making it possible for the others to get the ghost into the well. “A </span>
  <em>
    <span>Scraggy-Dee</span>
  </em>
  <span> episode?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang growled and lunged in the direction of Kai’s voice, knocking over a stack of moving boxes. While he was distracted, Zane flung a tire cap like a frisbee, knocking Yang in the head hard. He shouted in surprise, whorling in a circle and racing towards Jay and Zane.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elation rose in Jay as Yang slid across the grimy floor, racing towards them, towards the well. His feet hit the well, and the covering broke--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang didn’t fall. Instead, he snarled, leaping forward and causing Zane and Jay to scatter. Panic rose in Jay when he realized Yang had spotted him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay sprinted across the basement, diving between the shelving, and looking for somewhere to hide while Yang roared in frustration.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai snatched Jay’s hoodie and motioned to where he was, perched in the tiny space between the shelves and the ceiling. Jay glanced around for Yang before hopping up beside Kai.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have to get out of here,” Kai hissed. “The door?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Jay answered. “I thought Zane was going to open it, but the door must be locked or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai sighed. “Great. Now what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang growled, grabbing a long, thick axe and walking towards the shelves and raising it, bringing it down on the poles that supported the shelving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Follow my lead,” Kai whispered to Jay as the two of them crept towards Yang, before leaping out of the shelving to tackle him and cutting himself on the axe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kai screamed as blood fountained from his arm, but Yanked the axe from a surprised Yang’s grip and scrambled away, panicking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“JAY!” He cried to his friend, and Jay got the message, leaping from the shelves and tackling Yang. Scrambling for a weapon, he tried to fight off the larger and stronger ghost, while shouting for Zane and Nya.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya got there first, helping to pin Yang and drag him towards the well. Yang hissed, biting and kicking and fighting them off. Zane joined in, helping to move Yang to the well. When they got there, however, Yang shoved them all away, knocking them over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay’s head hit the ground and he saw stars. Panicking, he looked up to see Yang rising to his full height, laughing and howling like the devil.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dizzly, something green and furious leapt out from the shadows of the storm cellar, howling in fury. “You will not hurt them any more! You might have killed Seliel, and you might have killed Mystake, and maybe you killed me, but you’re not allowed to do this anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And with that, Cole crashed into Yang, knocking him backward into the open well. Jay watched through half-conscious eyes as Yang fell, seemingly in slow-motion, as he disappeared into the well, and then screeched in pain as the water washed over him</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay tried to look up, but the last thing he saw was Cole running towards him before he dropped off into unconsciousness.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>⚬⚬</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jaaay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You awake, buddy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, Earth to Jay, this is Cole speaking!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay groaned heavily, opening his eyes to see Cole floating lazily above him, a grin on his face. “Ugh,” He groaned, blinking and rubbing his eyes. “What’s going on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked around. They were back in Zane’s apartment. Nya was asleep on an armchair, Lloyd was sleeping off the rest of the sedative next to her. Zane was sitting on the floor, feeding Buddy what looked like Cheerios. The bird happily snapped them up, as Zane petted his silvery feathers. Kai was watching Zane lazily, the wound on his arm seemingly disappeared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yang’s gone now,” Cole answered, fluffing Jay’s head while floating around lazily. “I healed Kai’s cut and the concussions you, Lloyd and Nya all had. Yeesh. How’d you guys manage to get that hurt anyways?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay could only manage a slight smile and weak shrug. “Our parents?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re talking in the other room, and think you’re sleeping. Wu managed to wake up and realized what had happened. He called the doctors and you guys are all gonna be fine.” Cole answered. “They can’t see me, but I can still, um… influence them to come in here if you want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, yeah,” Jay sighed, smiling weakly. “Can you get my dad? He kind of looks like me, but he has darker hair and his eyes are brown instead of-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know who your dad is, you goof,” Cole chuckled, playfully punching Jay, which ended up feeling more like a blast of air rather than a proper punch. “I’ll go find him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He glided through the door and after a few seconds, it flew open, Cliff Gordan himself running inside to see his son.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jay!” He cried, running over to Jay’s side. “Oh buddy, you doing okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay nodded. “I’m okay, dad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cliff bit his lip in the same manner Jay sometimes did, lifting his son and climbing onto the couch to hold Jay in his lap. “Jay, I’m so, so sorry. I shouldn’t have brushed you off, I should’ve kept a better eye on you, I don’t know what happened--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad,” Jay leaned his head against his father’s shoulder. “It’s okay. I forgive you. I don’t think there was anything you could’ve done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cliff sighed but squeezed Jay a bit tighter. “I love you, Jay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay smiled, tears starting to well in his eyes. “I love you too, dad.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A/N: No, this is not the end. There’s still an epilogue coming! Also, I apologize for the wait, but I wrote and rewrote this chapter several times, and this is the product.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Epilogue: 10 Years Later</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Almost a decade after the incident with Yang, Jay was surprised to find himself driving down the small country road (now a two-lane street) towards his old home to meet up with Nya. The car drifted along lazily, a metal kayak on a paved river.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay smiled, listening to the talk show on the radio. Glancing at the seat next to him, he made sure that his precious cargo was okay. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pulling to a stop, Jay set his parking brake and grabbed the box on the passenger’s seat, climbing out of the car. Walking through the parking lot, Jay smiled as he saw “School Zone” signs and speed bumps around his former home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was good to know that other kids played here now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Walking up to the front of the school, he saw Nya waving him down. He waved back, walking up to her to chat. She looked a lot different now. Her black hair was longer, pulled up behind her head and she was taller than Jay, dressed in sturdy grey overalls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay smiled nervously as he approached her. “Hey?” He asked awkwardly, not knowing what to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya smiled at him. “Hey yourself. I’m glad you made it.” She glanced at the box in Jay’s hand. “Is that…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay nodded. “It’s a gift for Cole. Zane’s up in Virginia and couldn’t make it down. I stopped by his house on the way here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya nodded towards the building, and the two of them started walking. “What’s Zane doing these days?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s going to medical school, oh, and,” Jay grinned. “His brother, you remember Echo, right? Well, anyway, they found a bone marrow match for Echo, and Zane started dating her. How funny is that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya chuckled. “That’s… really sweet. Did you hear about Lloyd?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Jay asked, as Nya pulled open a side door of the Elementary School. “What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He got into some French school,” Nya answered, nodding to a teacher as they entered the school. “Oh, and Kai is working as a police officer in LA with his fiance. What’re you doing nowadays?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m working for Borg Industries in Seattle,” Jay shrugged. “What are you doing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been going to community college and working for my mom’s plumbing business,” Nya answered, unlocking a stairwell. “I’m saving up to get a career in hydroelectric engineering.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay nodded. “Neat. Is that why you can get into the school?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya nodded. “This place had a lot of plumbing issues. Some of them were even caused by residents.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Residents?” Jay asked as they descended down into the cool, neat basement. The basement was a lot different than he remembered. It was stuffed with band equipment, spare desks and chairs, and even a bunch of pipes and files.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Two pipes burst in what used to be Wu’s room. It took them forever to get him out of here because he kept rambling about ‘spiritual energies’ or something,” Nya clarified, pointing to a spot on the floor. “That’s where the old well was.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh,” A chill scurried down Jay’s spine. Yikes. The well was still here?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nya glanced around the fluorescent-light lit basement. “Cole? Hey, I brought Jay!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A  familiar greenish figure appeared in the corner of the room, gliding across the floor. His face lit up when he spotted them. “Nya! Jay!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay couldn’t help but grin. “Cole!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cole sat down on a desk nearby them. “Nya told me you were coming, but I didn’t think…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay chuckled, setting down the box. “Yeah. Sorry about that. I ran into Zane while I was in Virginia, and we talked for a bit. I got caught up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s with the gift?” Cole asked, nodding towards the box. “Is it someone’s birthday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay smiled. “That’s for you. I brought napkins, forks, and plates too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cole opened the box, revealing the gift that Jay had ever so carefully transported.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A cake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sespiffically a pecan cake. Zane had made it to last, and given it to Jay to deliver as a gift to their ghostly friend. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cole stared at the box, his eyes wide. “Is this all for me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay grinned, and nodded. “Of course. I figured you wouldn’t have been able to have cake in a long while. Zane found an old recipe book and made it for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cole grinned at Jay. “Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay smiled back. “You’re welcome.” Though Cole appeared younger than him, his soul was eons older. Jay wouldn’t have it any other way. “Hey, what do you even do all day?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cole shrugged. “I have friends. We cause trouble. I can play on the school computers, I do worksheets, although Mr. Ronin never accepts the new curriculum so I have all of his memorized by now. The kindergarten classroom has a rabbit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay shook his head. “Y’know Cole, for a ghost, you act a lot like a regular kid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never got to be a regular kid,” Cole answered with a shrug. “I might as well be one now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay smiled sadly, knowing that this may be the last time he ever saw Cole. “I, um, I have to go now. My dad wants to see me for dinner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, okay,” Cole shrugged. “Say hi to your dad from me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cole,” Jay sighed. “We’re probably not going to see each other again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cole looked up at him, rolling his eyes. “Of course we’ll see each other again, Jay. You just wait, like, sixty years.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jay swallowed the lump in his throat. “Okay, I… I guess I’ll see you then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cole nodded as Jay and Nya left the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Walking up the stairs, Nya sighed. “Sometimes I think we imagined it all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Imagined what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The fight with Yang. Zane’s falcon. Lloyd’s eccentric uncle. The fact that we even lived here at all. I sometimes think Kai was the one moving that planchette in the attic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think it really happened.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You do?” Nya asked, looking over at him as two children sprinted through the halls. “How?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The warm feeling Jay had so often associated with COle floated over to wrap him in a hug, and Jay looked around, smiling at the world he lived in. “I just do, Nya.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sometimes, you just do.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A/N: This is the official end of Other Side, but don’t worry, when I finally figure out how time management works, I’ll release a brand new story, a Skybound AU based on popular request.</p><p>Thanks for reading,</p><p>CheezPretzel</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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